Anyone who is paying even the slightest bit of attention knows that things are going to be totally nuts for the schools when summer is over. What is not in question is that learning in person is an extremely good thing, and that learning remotely is not a perfect substitute. This seems to be especially true for younger kids, but it holds up through college as well. For that matter, the premise holds for life in general. Online is no substitute for being there; I can easily speak to that as the grandparent of a three-year-old living in London. As for the schools, while some people seem to want definitive answers now, others—perhaps more wisely given the current situation—are hesitant to say much of anything if it can all be overturned in a matter of a week or two. Then again, if kids do go back to schools, much planning will be needed. So there’s some wisdom there too.
Thank God we have such strong leadership from our national government. (Oops. Wrong universe.)
Meanwhile, we’re coming up to mid-July. I haven’t posted much lately because there isn’t much to say that I haven’t already said. But it won’t be long before we have to fish or get off the pot on the early tournaments. If you have an event in October (think Bronx and Byram Hills in my circle, and Yale for my closely connected circle), the clock is ticking. Decisions have to be made. Fortunately some awfully smart people have been thinking hard about all of this, and are providing direction. One thing that has to be kept in mind is that I, personally, have no horses in the race. I don’t know what it’s like coaching a team virtually. Others do, and I rely on them for those insights that I can just imagine. Then again, even on their end they’re not sure what’s going to be what next season. But one certainty is that online tournaments are it for the foreseeable future. And foreseeability is limited.
May you live in interesting times.
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